HAPPINESS

Ever since I was young, I’ve always wondered if there was a book that described the secret of how to get through life. It’s something I think we all have questioned throughout our time on earth: how can we be content with the life we live? Many of us have tried ways to find bliss in our lives. We constantly feel we have to revamp our methods to keep up with the trend cycle. However, I feel like I’ve garnered life experience after 20 years on earth(and a lot of social media research). I think I’ve found the real secret to true happiness: romanticizing the little things in life.

Romanticizing involves finding joy in simplicity while also making the mundane aspects of life attractive. It’s turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. According to Christina Caron for The New York Times, the term ‘romanticize your life’ longs for us to “appreciate what we have right in front of us and to live with intention, no matter how mundane our daily rituals might be — a reminder to look for moments of beauty and embrace minimalism.”

How do we pursue this piece of happiness? One way involves writing down the small things we take for granted to gain an appreciation for them which is called the gratitude method. We can also find ways to spice up certain tasks in life. This is called the main character method.

The gratitude method fosters aspects of mindfulness— something I have personal experience with. One summer in high school, I had a mental health scare and there was a moment when I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, I learned how to incorporate mindfulness into my life during that time. Mindfulness is the idea of being fully present within a moment. Through the act of mindfulness, we can use the gratitude method to incorporate romanticization within our own lives. I made it a habit to journal about small content moments throughout the month. They included smallthings like a sunset, a good song, the scent of flowers, and, the taste of comfort food.

I never knew how powerful writing down small moments could be. The experience changed my outlook on life in the best way. I realized that it’s not big moments like vacations, graduation, and getting a dream job/partner that make us happy. Instead, simple things like the smell of the ocean, the taste of a good meal, and the warmth of a hug bring out our true happiness. Take a moment in a peaceful and comfortable environment that makes you happy. Close your eyes, breathe in the moment, and be truly present during a special experience. Aubrey Jane, a sophomore, uses relaxing walks as a way to stay present.

“I try to remember to pause my brain and take a deep breath of the fresh air and remember how grateful being outside is and how grateful I am to be where I am,” said Jane.

The main character method is a different approach to romanticizing life. It’s creating a new point of view on certain tasks by offering ideas on how to diversify daily routines. Regarding romanticization, Maysee Russel, a sophomore, uses peoplewatching in coffee shops to live vicariously through others. She spends her time “making up stories for the couple laughing in the corner, or the old man reading his book on the couch.”

This method can also be a space where people are allowed to feel the feelings they long toembrace. This doesn’t just involve the positive feelings but also feeling out the negative or ‘blue’ moments. For example, Isabela Torres, a junior, uses music and fashion as a form of expression. For her, there are no rules on how to interpret these forms of art.

“I get into ‘moods’ where I want to listen to blues or funk, and I’ll make a little playlist,” said Torres. “I’ll then use that playlist to get ready and inspire/dictate my fashion for the day.”

As her fashion and music taste evolves, she feels like she evolves as a person. Through romanticizing the art of music and fashion, Torres learned how to feel comfortable in her skin.

The main character method teaches people to romanticize their dream lives through the act of believing their goals can be achieved. Lanie Weingarten, a senior, has a dream of living in Paris and becoming a singer. She uses the drive for her dream to fuel her passion for achieving it.

“I think who you surround yourself with also has a huge impact on the level of the drive you have. So surround yourself with people who are energy suppliers and not energy vipers” said Weingarten.

Meanwhile, Zoe Holguin, a junior, has a dream of living in a beautiful house. She creates a ‘mood board for her future,’ by browzing the cities she’d love to live in on Zillow.

“I say to myself (out loud) that I’m going to live like this,” said Hoguin. This act reaffirms the success of my dream life “Small things like that reaffirm that I will be successful and have the life of my dreams if I continue to believe it.” It’s the idea of romanticizing the future through the acts of selfaffirmations and using visuals to imagine as if you are already living it that is the key to success.

So have a candlelight dinner for yourself, go try on wedding dresses for fun, and finger paint in a park. Whatever sparks joy is the key. But remember to embrace the sad days too by learning a sad song on an instrument, writing furiously in your journal, or going for a run in the rain. And if you have dreams,do whatever you can to bring them into existence, but also remember to live in the present as well.Because the real secret to happiness… don’t remember living through the giant milestones, but rather live vicariously through the everyday small moments.

ILLUSTRATED BY EMMA BALLMAN

WRITTEN BY SYLVIA DAVIDOW PLAYLIST CONNOISSEUR SARAH CAMPBELL DESIGNER SUNNY ANDERSON